Did you take the driving test in a serious manner? Were you over confident and ended up failing one or more times? As a teen, did you feel as if you were always going to be immune to serious auto accidents? What you did at the start of driving could very well be impacting your driving today. If it is all good, then you are safer for it.

As you’ve gotten older, all hopes are your driving skills have improved with time.

In noting those skills, make sure you have the following covered:

1. Being focused – The most important aspect of being a good driver is making sure you stay focused out on the roads. This means not worrying about distractions like phones or music in the auto. It also means making sure you know what other drivers are up to. Although you can’t control what someone else does in their vehicle, you want to know if it could lead to an accident.

2. Vehicle condition – The vehicle you put out on the roads each time matters too. That said have your car or truck inspected on a regular basis. Even if you are pretty handy with vehicles, you could miss something that is going wrong. If that happens, it could set you up for an accident. By having regular inspections, your trusted mechanic will likely catch any trouble areas.

3. Inclement weather – There’s a minimal chance you don’t see inclement weather in driving. With that being the case, how good of a driver are you when the skies open up? One key to handling the rain, snow and other challenges Mother Nature can throw at you is adapting. This will mean not leaving at the last minute for an appointment or work. It also means making sure your vehicle is ready to handle the conditions. From your tires to your windshield wipers, be sure everything is in good working order. Last, have a blanket, flares and other necessities in your trunk in the event you have a breakdown along the way.

Teaching Your Teen to Drive

If you have a teenager jumping at the bit to learn how to drive, make sure you pass along good driving tips to him or her.

This starts with being responsible not only when you’re in the vehicle alone, but when your kids are with you.

Given many kids will act like their parents, set a good example from day one.

Don’t let distractions allow you to take your concentration off the road. If feeling drowsy, get to a safe place off the road so you don’t put your family and others at risk. Last, never drink and drive. Sure, you might think a drink won’t impact your abilities behind the wheel, but it could be a deadly decision you make.

When it comes to driving away with better habits behind the wheel, are you passing the test?